Since the coronavirus pandemic has spread all over the world, many people have found themselves in a frenzy, doing all they could to protect themselves against the deadly virus. While an effective vaccine is yet to be made available to the public, there are several things that you can do to protect yourself as per the CDC instructions. Taking a sufficient amount of supplements is considered one of the most important steps to do that, here’s why.
BOOST THE PRODUCTION OF ANTIBODIES AND WHITE CELLS
Supplements, particularly the ones rich with zinc, are known to have an important boosting effect on your immune system. Zinc has a role in the production of antibodies and white cells, which will effectively help your body to fight off any infections or dangerous viruses. Thus, people who suffer from zinc deficiency will suffer from increased inflammation and reduced amounts of antibodies. There are studies that have shown that zinc can reduce the symptoms of the common cold; however, there is no concrete evidence to confirm that zinc can reduce respiratory tract infections caused by COVID-19, but one should leave no stone unturned when seeking protection. In addition to this, zinc is suspected of having a potential ability to decrease the coronavirus replication, which is why it is currently being investigated for COVID-19 treatments.
PROTECT AGAINST SEASONAL INFLUENZA
Although the main purpose of taking vitamin D supplements is to treat the lack of sun exposure and age-related conditions, these supplements can also provide protection against seasonal influenza. The chewable Methylated Multivitamin, which has a high vitamin D concentration, among many others can help you protect yourself against seasonal influenza and respiratory diseases in general. Vitamin D supplements are also capable of treating acute respiratory infections, which is why they can help provide protection against COVID-19. However, this is yet to be confirmed by research. Nonetheless, there are several doctors and articles online that recommend taking supplements that contain 25-hydroxyvitamin D to reduce the chances of infection.
DECREASE SUSCEPTIBILITY TO RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS
If you’re planning on taking a healthy dosage of supplements each day, you may want to increase your vitamin C dosage more than anything else, mainly because human trials have proven that it can decrease your susceptibility to pneumonia and viral respiratory infections. In addition to that, some studies done on birds have shown that vitamin C can protect against the avian coronavirus infection. While it still hasn’t been proven that it can have the same effect on the version of the coronavirus that infects humans, it is best that you take these supplements in either case. China and the US are still running clinical trials to determine whether or not vitamin C can be used in treating COVID-19, but until the results of these trials come out, you can still take vitamin C supplements for protection.
SUPPLEMENTS HAVE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY PROPERTIES
Patients with COVID-19 commonly experience systematic inflammation and sometimes acute respiratory distress, which causes the respiratory mucus to build up and thus, limiting the airflow. The N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a powerful supplement that will help increase the number of antioxidants in your body and will also have an anti-inflammatory effect, which can help against a number of pulmonary diseases like respiratory distress syndrome and the mucus build-up caused by the COVID-19. While these supplements won’t cure the COVID-19, they’re certainly going to help in reducing the symptoms. If you plan on adding NAC to your diet, you can take the supplements; however, if you’re a patient, a systemic or aerosolized NAC will work better for you.
COMPLEMENT SUPPLEMENTS WITH A BALANCED DIET
Your immune system needs to be in its optimal form in these trying times and this can’t happen if you only take supplements. Likewise, supplements won’t have the effects that we mentioned in this article if you’re not following a healthy, well-balanced diet that contains vegetables, fruits, etc. so you can get all the vitamins and minerals you need.
This will maximize your immune system, which in turn will minimize your chances of being infected with COVID-19. However, you must keep an eye out for your vitamin intake every week. Large vitamin dosages can unfortunately do more harm than good. If you don’t know how to balance out your supplement intake in your diet, you can consult a nutritionist.
As the world waits eagerly for a vaccine, you must do all you can to boost your immune system and improve your health in general. Needless to say, supplements won’t work unless you follow the CDC instructions (washing your hands regularly, wearing a mask in public, and maintaining a safe distance from people). Otherwise, you might be risking your health.
